The fashion industry is a popular and competitive industry. With so much competition, it's imperative that clothing designers, jewelry designers, shoe designers and even boutique owners find creative ways to market their brands. In order to do this, fashion brands must keep the potential customer's prospective in mind from the product development stage to the product evaluation stage.
Goals
Regardless of your niche in the fashion industry, before you start brainstorming creative marketing strategies, it's important to analyze your market and come up with a couple of measurable goals you'd like to achieve with your marketing efforts. As a boutique owner, your goal may be to create a campaign that attracts more visitors to the store to bring in higher sales each month. As a fashion or jewelry designer, your goal may be to introduce your new fall line and receive at least ten initial orders.
Networking
One of the most time-tested and inexpensive ways to creatively market products in the fashion industry is through word-of-mouth. If you're not personally speaking to your customers, be sure that you have brand ambassadors who can communicate effectively with your customers about your products. These brand ambassadors should be people who actually wear your items and will share their positive experiences with your brand.
Look Book
A look book is an essential piece to a creative marketing strategy for anyone in the fashion industry. A book filled with glossy photographs provides editors, potential buyers and even potential customers with an idea of what you can create. Work with a photographer who understands fashion photography and consider hiring a stylist for the shoot. Be sure that your look book includes information about you, how your brand got started, your direction and your contact information.
Fashion Blogs
People are frequently introduced to brands by friends and family, but they often venture online to do their research and look for reviews from other customers. A big part of the online community includes blogs and social networks. In many instances, bloggers are also tweeting about the topics they discuss on their blogs.
Because of this, it's beneficial to establish strong, mutually beneficial relationships with local and national fashion bloggers and websites as a part of your creative marketing strategy. Develop interesting angles, as they are inundated with requests from up-and-coming designers daily. Send a professional pitch and your look book. If you need help locating bloggers and websites or determining what to send, contact a public relations professional for assistance.
Fashion Showcase
Consider hosting a small gathering of 30 to 50 people to debut your line or boutique to key people in the fashion industry. Invite bloggers, editors, buyers and potential high-profile clients. This is a creative way to network and personally introduce your brand through your own vision. During the event, allow time for a small fashion show, and also display items throughout the room. You can use your look book as inspiration and tie elements of it into your event.
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